Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church: Recent Episodes
Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church
Jesus talks about wealth in a revolutionary way and the key question is this: whose money is it?
At two points in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus said that the kingdom of God belongs to children. What does he mean?
God’s kingdom is a revolutionary treasure. It is not a set of rules to follow. It’s not a set of beliefs to hold. It is a life-changing discovery.
Many of the things Jesus says about the kingdom are in stories with a deeper meaning called parables. This week we look at the revolutionary story of God's kingdom through the parable of the sower.
Jesus taught blessings that show how upside-down his revolution is. Is it possible that this upside-down revolution could apply to our daily lives?
It's common to make a new year's resolution -- to lose weight, make more money, spend more time with family. Our lives need more than a resolution; we need a revolution. That's what Jesus came to bring.
God is pleased with you. Nothing about you -- who you are, who you have become, the mistakes you've made or those made against you -- nothing changes the measure of the love God has for you.
Micah foretold: the coming King has arrived in Bethlehem. Most of us know these words, as something from a foreign land and a foreign time. To these shepherds, seeing an angel is foreign, but not the message. They had been waiting in this place, for this moment, for generations.
In the time of the Bible, a person's name was understood to be a declaration of their character and identity. Today we look at Isaiah 9 and the declaration of the names by which we would know God's Messiah.
What is the vision of the future you are yearning for, praying for, working for, striving for? What is your hope? This advent, we will look at promises of hope— prophecies of Jesus’ coming, prophecies of his birth, and prophecies of his eternal reign. Advent is a time when we remember that the King is Coming.
Have you ever had to deal with someone who is mad? How can we help someone else with their anger? How can we help the world with all the anger around us?
A central tenet of Christian faith is forgiveness. Jesus came to earth for our forgiveness. On the cross, Jesus prayed to forgive those who tortured him. He taught us to forgive. His disciples had a hard time accepting it. So, how do we forgive?
Anger is normative and healthy when appropriate but when it begins to spike unnaturally, it shows us that an adjustment needs to be made.
Anger can also be deeply destructive—to ourselves, to others, to relationships; to the Church, the country, and the kingdom of God. How do we identify unhealthy anger? Specifically, how do we identify unhealthy anger in ourselves?
The Bible never says “don’t get mad.” Be angry, but do not sin. Be angry, but do not hold onto the anger. Be angry, but do not let the enemy have an opportunity. That sounds great…but how do we do it?
Is anger sinful? Is it evil? Are there healthy ways to express or manage anger? The Bible has a lot to say about anger and it's relevant to all our lives, especially in a culture where outrage is liked and shared.
Is it possible to extend the kind of love Jesus is talking about beyond our personal realm? Now, more than ever, our world needs people who are learning to love.
Jesus call us his friends. It’s hard to think of Jesus, Ruler of Creation, enthroned in heaven and also think of Jesus who hugs kids and calls us his friends. It's hard to hold both of those concepts in our minds at the same time.
Is Jesus offering a conditional friendship? Is friendship with Jesus, is perhaps even the love of Jesus, based on the condition of following commandments?
What is the greatest love--the strongest, most powerful, most life-changing love--that a person can have? Romance? Self-love? Love of God? What does Jesus say?
There is nothing wrong with desiring something God wants to give you. The problem is coveting something that is not for you. That kind of coveting focuses your attention and your will on what you do not have, instead of focusing on what you do have.
What’s the difference between reaching out to friends for support and gossip? Because reaching out for support is healthy, and gossip is unhealthy, and a lot of people honestly don’t know the difference.
Something in us believes "what I have is not enough" -- not enough money, not enough security, not enough comfort, not enough status, not enough success. There is a fear that we do not have or will not have enough. Jesus speaks directly to this fear in the Sermon on the Mount.
Our bodies matter and what we do with our bodies matter. We are called to glorify God in our bodies.
Jesus challenges the interpretation of the 6th commandment--you shall not murder--calling us to expand our interpretation to include the spirit of the law. Jesus calls us to move beyond religiosity into right relationship with God and our neighbors.
Family shapes our values, perceptions, and worldview. Family shapes our emotional world, our experience of love or shame, trust or fear, confidence or guilt. But family can be messy, can’t it? How can we honor our messy families?
Special guest two-time Lee Rouson offers a message as part of our VBS Sports Camp Celebration
Sabbath is God's gift to us-- a groundwork for our relationship with God. Let's look at sabbath from God's perspective.
In the Sabbath commandment we learn that God wants to spend time with us. Sabbath is practice for eternity. What is the Sabbath for?
omg...It is a common phrase when something is great, or terrible, or just mildly amusing. Some people say it so often they think nothing of it.
The second commandment shows that God wants more than our obedience; God wants our hearts.
The 10 Commandments are an invitation to covenant. That’s what God and the people were doing at Sinai: confirming a covenant. God has proven God's faithfulness and invites us to be faithful.
Rules somehow feel different when they are religious, don’t they? The words “thou shalt not” just have such weight. Religious rules can induce fear, and guilt, and judgment. Why did God choose to give us rules?
AI creates new ethical questions at a time when people do not agree on basic ethics. When people do not agree on right and wrong, how can we agree on what’s right and wrong for AI?
What is truth? That’s the question of our age. Modernism says truth is objective, factual, separate from the observer. Postmodernism says truth is subjective, relative, in the eye of the beholder. Israeli philosopher Yuval Harari claims that many truths are intersubjective: we decide together what’s true. Now we have AI to tell us what’s true. Have a question? Google it or use ChatGPT.
Is truth knowable?
Artificial Intelligence is poised to transform society. What might this mean for our lives, and our faith? Come to consider how our ancient faith is not only relevant but essential in an AI world.
Guest Rev. Martin Boardman reminds us that there is hope, there is renewal, and there are times of refreshing through Jesus Christ.
Have you ever had a moment in time that transformed how you see life from then on? Sharing the stories of what we have actually experienced in our faith journey is a very scriptural thing to do! Eye witness accounts are of great importance in our human story; and also, in history of God’s people.
Have you ever had a moment in your life when you declared, “This is not how the story was supposed to end!”? We think life is supposed to be comfortable, but we all know that’s not how life really works. There are hurts, trauma, broken relationships, illness, and death. But that's not the end of the story.
Can we live in a way that honors Jesus, points people to Jesus, and glorifies Jesus, instead of us? Is Jesus worth it?
Sometimes it feels like our lives or our history are a train going off the rails. Jesus reminds us that we are in God’s hands! God has a plan, God has a future for us, therefore we have hope.
These were the three main worldviews or perspectives during Jesus' lifetime, and Jesus did not fit any of them. In today's scripture passage, we are going to see Jesus go toe to toe with some great minds of his age and turns out: Jesus makes sense.
Life has all kinds of questions. What is the big question in your life right now? Are you seeking a true answer or an answer that you want to be true? How might God answer the question of your life?
This Lent, we will walk through Jesus’ final week as written in the Gospel of Mark. Let me invite you to place yourself in the Jerusalem crowd and ask: who is that guy? Who is Jesus? What might we learn about him, and what might that mean for us?
We live in a world in transition with tons of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. We have two political movements promising that they will lead us to peace, and the other will lead us to disaster and this year, an election year, the stakes feel higher for both sides. Jesus has a prescient word for us today: “Watch out!
So many people live their lives for themselves, They focus on their own problems, put energy toward their own success and relationships, and advance their own agenda. We were made for something greater than ourselves. We were made to push back the darkness.
What does that mean, exactly, to follow Jesus? Let’s look at his followers and see what we discover.
If we are family of faith, how do we relate to people who are not part of the family? That might include neighbors, coworkers, friends and it might include people who don’t like us. How do we relate to them?
Your best life is lived for what you are made for. You were not made for the grind. You were not made for loneliness or meaninglessness, for addictions or compulsions, for fears or worries. You were made for a purpose. You were made by the Creator of the universe for a purpose larger than yourself. Do you know what you are made for?
As we begin a new year, take a moment to consider Mary, Martha, and one necessary thing.
Do you feel ready for Christmas? Sometimes it feels like it sneaks up on us, but Christmas truly snuck up on Mary. How does Mary respond?
Sometimes there's more to see, and sometimes our expectation of what we see limits us from seeing the bigger story.
This Advent, we are considering Christmas from the perspective of the angels. Angels appear throughout the Christmas story. What must the angels have thought?
We need Thanksgiving because when we watch the news, we could be tempted to despair. As Christians, we are called to a different mindset -- hope.
Can we live with a faith in God that is so strong that God is simply part of our reality? Faith is not an opinion; it’s a foundation.
Love means truly wanting the best for others, even as God wants the best for us. Can we be so inspired by God’s love that we live with inspiring love?
Who is Jesus in your life? What does it mean to deny ourselves and take up a cross daily?
The word “holy” means different, distinctive, set apart for God. The first step toward everyday holiness is to realize that to be holy, even to be healthy, we need God.
We all need hope. A big part of everyday faith is living with hope, a real hope, every day.
Life is defined by moments. Faith happens in moments. If all of your moments led up to one moment, what would you want that moment to be? What is the best use of our time?
Words are so everyday that we forget how amazing they are. Words can hurt or heal. Words create worlds. How present are God's words in our everyday words?
We're part of this world, but we're also part of a spiritual reality. We are called to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, so our thoughts reflect God’s thoughts, our ways reflect God’s ways, our seeing reflect God’s truth, and our responses reflect God’s love.
Worship is not just attending church on Sundays; worship is living our faith every day, in our everyday life.
What does that look like?
As a new school year begins, we take a look at the vision for reaching the next generation.
Sometimes we disagree over big things and sometimes we disagree in big ways over very small things. We are not perfect people, so we need to learn the skills of forgiveness and reconciliation. In a world that is increasingly divided, our faith is all about forgiveness and reconciliation.
How we can grieve in a way that leads us to healing, leads us to hope, leads us into deeper connections to God, one another, and ourselves
How do we know if someone is spiritually alive? Jesus offers eternal life. How do we know if someone has eternal life?
Some people have a hard time with difficult parts of the Bible. Let’s just read the Bible verses about God’s grace, and skip the verses about God’s wrath. People don’t want to talk about God’s wrath because it brings up questions about the character of God. Is God…good?
Pastor Anne shares a message from the beatitudes, Jesus' famous teachings, which has had an impact on her life and ministry and relates to the idea of spiritual inadequacy.
Michael Cho is the founder of International Mission, which has over 500 missionaries, serving over 20 countries. They lead Christ-based schools, vocational colleges, and Bible colleges as a means to reach the next generation with the gospel. [Warning: Message includes mention of attempted suicide]
Habakkuk was a man of prayer. The book opens with a prayer, and then he listens. It takes practice to discern the voice of God. We practice listening.
This summer, the message series will be based on short books in the Bible—little gems—that are sometimes overlooked. On this Independence Day weekend, we'll look at Obadiah, a one-chapter, deeply patriotic book.
We are God's children, heirs and partners in the family of God. How does this identity impact sabbath?
The story of creation culminates with sabbath and establishes a rhythm of rest. Do we take time to enjoy a life in rhythm with God?
Sabbath is a time to pause, to gain perspective on your life in God's kingdom, and respond in joy and praise. What does the Bible say about the rhythm of rest?
People share faith in different ways and people come to faith in different ways. This message will give you some tools for sharing the Gospel.
When we talk about sharing our faith, we share because we care about people. In a world that thinks faith is all about opinions and commandments and that faith should be private, how do we convince people that we share because we care about them?
What faith stories do you have? What has God done in your life—big things and small? Your story can change the world.
Why should we share our faith? How can we share our beliefs without starting an argument?
Sharing the good news can fill us with fear -- fear of judgment, condemnation, rejection, or misunderstanding -- but Jesus promises that we won't be alone.
Can you imagine a job where you connect people with a huge inheritance they have waiting for them? As Christians, that’s part of our job: to invite people to claim their eternal inheritance through Jesus Christ.
We are talking about making an eternal impact, and the best way to impact God’s kingdom is to invite people in.
The average American life is just over 4,000 weeks. How do we make those weeks count, so we can look back and say we lived a life that made a difference, a positive impact—even an eternal impact?
Hope is more than optimism, more than wishful thinking. Hope is faith in the present tense. How can we continue to hope when we are in the deepest valleys of life?
C.S. Lewis said, "humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less." Being humble means not being focused on yourself. God values humility, but how can we become more humble?
Fear comes with the mindset of self-preservation, while joy comes from self-giving. How can we live in the joy of generosity and without the fear of self-preservation?
We live in a world of social media where many of us show others only a curated sliver of our lives, so others will accept us. We manage our image, we dress and speak and act in a way we think others will like. We need a life of authenticity -- living out of our true selves.
This Lent we are talking about how to live well, how to form habits in our lives that fill us with abundance. One of those habits is prayer. Prayer is not complicated: it’s simply talking to God, and the good news is that God listens.
Many are chasing after things that do not satisfy. The blessed life has substance and significance. How do we get there?
In this special message, we look back at the past year and celebrate ministry then and moving forward.
Earthquakes, pandemics, poverty, death, broken relationships -- Why do we experience suffering?
Pastor Anne Havrilla, who was raised Catholic, explains the difference between Catholic and Presbyterian views of Mary the mother of Jesus.
When it comes to salvation, there are some things we know and some things that are a mystery.
Does our faith journey begin when we're born, or baptized, or confirmed, or when we're involved in a church community?
There is this myth out there that faith and science contradict. Both people of faith and people of science have perpetuated and fought over this myth.
What victory are you yearning for right now? Faith claims a future victory today. Faith claims that God’s victory is so assured it is already in the past. Faith brings a time shift.
There is a growing epidemic of loneliness. We were created for relationship with God and with others. Isaiah declares the Messiah will be called Immanuel, God with us. You are not alone.
God promises to restore creation, including us. We see this beautiful promise in the prophecies of Isaiah--the promise of a glorious future of safety, prosperity, and peace.
This is why we celebrate Christmas: it the time change. The kingdom of God appeared on earth in the person of Jesus. In Advent, we also remember what is coming, that Jesus will return to end this broken timeline, so we will experience kingdom time again.
We choose, consciously or unconsciously, how we spend each moment. There is always enough time…but there is never enough time for everything. Time is a precious resource because you cannot make it, you cannot save it, you can only spend it. Choose wisely.
In this final message of the series, we explore Jesus' conversation with the woman at the well and his invitation to "come and see."
God so loved the world—in fact the Greek word is cosmos. God’s plan is to restore God’s kingdom over all creation. That’s what it’s all about.
When people set up a system that keeps others away from God, anger is a godly response. There is plenty of injustice in our world. Facing injustice is truly important. Jesus showed zeal.
God has purposes for your life each day. How focused are you on seeking and living God’s plan? Do you take the time to ask, is this what God wants?
John is an early biography of Jesus by someone who knew him. Jesus was just starting out, so people are meeting and learning about Jesus. I hope we can meet and learn about Jesus, as if for the first time.
There is a secret to being content in any and every circumstance. I want that secret! Do you want the secret?
When we are in hard times, we focus on the pain or the difficulty. Our vision becomes narrowed, and we do not see all the good in the world, only the bad. Thanksgiving broadens our vision.
The apostle Paul had his own rescue story where Christ Jesus took ahold of him-and his life took a remarkable change of direction. "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on..." When Paul speaks of this one thing I do, he is telling us where to aim; where to direct our lives. AIM up!
Instead of living in fear, we are called to live bold. God can bring good out of anything, so we have nothing to fear.
Sometimes life is up; sometimes life is down. How can we live in joy in both the ups and the downs? We can learn that from Philippians, one of Paul’s prison letters.
Today we hear about prayer -- a strategy in the invisible war. Prayer is our way to speak to God and also to listen to God.
This week in the series on invisible war, we talk about the battle within ourselves -- the battle between our spirit and our flesh.
We have an enemy, called by different titles -- Satan, devil, the evil one. Listen to what Scripture has to say about the enemy.
There is a war between good and evil, between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. A war that rages in every country, community, family, and in every human heart. It is a largely invisible war.
We have a tendency to try to "fix" people, don't we? Jesus tells us not to judge and to "remove the log in our own eye, before removing the speck from our brother's eye."
We worry about money, our kids, the future, safety, and if we'll have enough. Jesus talked about worry in the Sermon on the Mount.
Rev. Ian McCormack share his near-death experience and how it changed his life forever.
Resentment is a weight on our heart, a weight on our soul. Resentment is hard work and drains us of hope and joy. When we have been truly hurt, rejected, abandoned, betrayed, how do we let that go?
Some religions have lots of rules, and whoever follows the rules the best is on the top. Some have beliefs and knowledge, and whoever understands the best is on top. Some have certain behaviors and practices, and whoever does those best is on top. The reason is simple: we all want God to love us.
What are you living for? We are part of Jesus' mission to change the world! Let us not live for anything less.
“My God, why have you forsaken me?” Have you ever felt that? The good news is that God has not forsaken us. God has never left us alone in whatever we are facing.
There is something in us that likes to mock. It is not enough to defeat our enemies; we want to humiliate them. We want to convince ourselves that our enemies are unworthy of respect, are somehow less than human. Have you ever fallen for it? Whom are you tempted to mock?
Both Barabbas and Jesus were revolutionaries. Barabbas wanted to change the world's power structure; Jesus wanted to change the world's power dynamics. The crowd had a choice. What do we choose?
We "play with fireworks" with no concept of the consequences. The world is on fire, and we blame others and sometimes God when we get burned. What does justice look like for this broken cosmos, this broken humanity? How can justice be done?
Have you ever looked at a mess in your own life and thought, “How did that happen?” How did that fight start? How did that relationship collapse? What happened? And how can I keep it from happening again?
Our Lenten series will be the Journey to the Cross, following the Gospel of Matthew step-by-step from the Last Supper to the crucifixion, to prepare for the joy of resurrection. The journey begins at the Last Supper.
How many people in our world are racking up points that don’t count? They want freedom, they want an abundant life, but they don’t know how to get there, and they are living as part of the wrong story?
Pastor Peter Pendell returns to follow up the Overwhelmed series with a message Underwhelmed.
The world that we live in places a high value on beauty, especially personal beauty. The world puts pressure on us to be beautiful and live the beautiful life. As people who belong to God, we need to look to God to teach us what true beauty is.
Do you ever feel inadequate or unworthy? Guilt is feeling like you did something wrong; shame is feeling that your whole self is wrong. Jesus overcame shame with love.
The Bible says "do not be afraid" 71 times. How can we "not be anxious about anything"?
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by lies? People spread different information, misinformation, and lies. How do we know who's right? It's overwhelming!
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by technology? Because tech is useful, we grow to depend on it. We start to assume that all of our problems have external solutions, but most of our real challenges are not on the outside. We are leaning on tech to solve problems it cannot solve.
God gives us the truth—everything we need to go on. And nothing but the truth—God is entirely trustworthy. But let us not pretend that we have the whole truth. There is still mystery, still room for surprise.
Too often, people have a distorted memory of history. There is the temptation to selectively edit our personal story, to leave out the Tamars and Rahabs, to edit around the Bathsheba events in our own lives. Is it possible that God wants to use those, too?
You get one life. How do we live an integrated life, a life with integrity, where 100% matters for eternity and brings us joy?
Can you imagine a country with two kings, each giving orders and trying to establish primacy? Your heart can only have one king.
If you sow a little, you reap a little. If you sow a lot, you reap a lot. Since God wants us to be rich in God’s kingdom, God wants us to sow into God’s kingdom.
"Where your treasure is, your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) Where is your treasure?
Heaven on earth is amazing good news. Final justice is amazing good news. So how can we share that? How can we speak of judgment, without being judgmental?
Final judgment is not about punishing people. It is about restoring justice to the cosmos. Final judgment is final justice.
There are two pieces of history about which different people disagree -- millennium and rapture. Where do these pieces fit?
We all have questions about heaven and heaven-on-earth. What it will be like? Who will be there?
God’s ultimate goal is to restore creation, a new heaven and new earth together, so it will be heaven-on-earth. Resurrection is how God will accomplish this.
What is your ultimate hope? The hope you cling to, what you look forward to, the thing you live toward…what is that for you? This new series, “Heaven on Earth,” is about the hope God offers us in Jesus Christ.
Have you ever built something that fell apart? Maybe a relationship, a business, a ministry venture? It's easy to move from "that was a failure" to "I'm a failure," but sometimes you have to rebuild again.
Have you experienced this circle -- "on top" with God, think you don't need God, trouble happens, turn back to God, God save you and on top with God again and the cycle repeats? Nehemiah is saying "Let's not do that again."
Nehemiah encouraged God’s people to renovate their city and their lives. Through the receiving of God’s Word, scripture, they learned as we do, that the joy of the Lord is our strength.
Do you ever get discouraged? Disheartened? You are trying to move forward, toward God’s kingdom, toward the life, work, and future God has for you (as best you can discern it), but it feels like the world is pushing back?
There are many issues in our world that feel too big to fix, but nothing is too big for God. We can rebuild together.
In relationships, both personal and professional, we have to recognize what we need or want and then ask for it. What would you ask God to rebuild -- in your life, in our church, in the world?
This past year our rhythms were thrown off -- daily schedule, exercise, family time, sleep, workflow. Things are coming back to not-quite-normal. As we rebuild, how can our new normal move us forward toward God's kingdom?
Bloom where you are planted is a popular sentiment, but is actually echoed in the Bible. Let’s explore how each of us can bloom where we are planted despite our circumstances and grow into the spiritual redwoods God is calling us to be.
We all suffer from spiritual amnesia, and we need to be together to worship to remember that we are part of God’s great Story.
God looked on us with love, and came as one of us in the person of Jesus to rescue us. Followers are part of Jesus' mission to reach out to others. Are we reaching out?
Would it shock you to know that God never says to be yourself? God invites you to be who you were meant to be.
There is a cosmic battle that has been raging throughout history and through each human soul. It is a battle between light and darkness, between good and evil, between love and selfishness.
We run from conflict, suffering, fear, and death. As followers of Jesus, we are called to a new perspective. Instead of running from death, we run toward resurrection.
We are called to blessed because in Christ we are blessed. What does it mean to be blessed?
As God's people, a called people, we are called to a different caliber of love and respect in our relationships.
Who are your people? Who is your "us" and "them" and what marks the difference? 1 Peter says that we are called to be a new people in Christ. What does that mean?
In our second sermon of the “Called” series based on the apostle Peter’s first letter we hear four encouragements for us: Live in hope! Live in holiness! Live in Fear! Live in love! Explore what these mean for our lives as Jesus’ followers.
Called is a series about who we are because of what God has done for us in Christ. We will be going through the book of 1 Peter.
In your life, who is driving, you or God? Who decides what's right or wrong for you? Who sets your priorities and guides your decisions? Are you driving, or is God?
Rev. Anthony Thompson share his journey to forgiveness for the man who shot and killed Thompson’s wife and eight other believers as they prayed during a Bible study at the predominantly Black Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Do you ever take time to listen to your soul? To ask: what is it that I am thirsting for?
God desires to restore creation. To be part of God’s healing work, we must listen to people. When a woman desperate for healing reached out and touched Jesus, he noticed. He stopped and took time to listen to her.
To love someone, we must hear them. In this event, Simon can only see this woman’s behavior, but does not listen to her life. Jesus listens to her more deeply, and blesses her. How can we do the same for those around us?
We speak to God in prayer. How much time and effort do we spend listening? We strive to serve God. Do we charge ahead, or ask God for direction? We want an abundant life. Do we stop to listen for what God wants to transform in our lives? Do we believe life would be best if we surrender our will, and listen?
Life contains mystery, and we live in the mystery by faith. For life’s greatest mysteries, we have faith in God. This is not blind faith. It is founded faith—founded in love, founded in flesh, founded in Christ, founded together, and founded for a purpose.
What is the "church"? What does it mean to be part of the church? What does it mean to be "the body of Christ"?
God is restoring creation, and we can be part of it. If we only focus on getting into heaven, the big question is, "who gets in?" If we focus on God's plan to restore creation, then the question is, "what does God want to restore?"
It's one thing to say God love you, but Jesus did far more: he embodied God's love. We call this miracle incarnation -- God in the flesh.
Popular today is “Build-a-Bear” Christianity: "I can believe what I want about God." God has revealed God’s own self to us. We don’t get to choose what is true about God; God has revealed what is true. We choose whether we surrender to this reality, in gratitude, so we can live our calling.
Do you realize how beloved you are? God gave himself, no strings attached. We see this on Christmas.
We are continuing this Advent series, “The weary world rejoices.” Today, “For yonder breaks,” we come to Mary. Did she have any idea what she said “yes” to? Did Mary have any idea how this would turn her life upside down? Have your answered "yes"?
Have you been hurt so many times that you’re tempted not to trust anyone? Have you failed so badly you’re tempted not to try again? Have you been disappointed for so long that you’re tempted not to pray? Sometimes it feels like we are waiting for peace that may never come. Can we wait in hope?
The theme for this Advent sermon series is from a well-known carol, “O Holy Night.” This year of all year, we identify with the last part of the line: “A thrill of hope—the weary world rejoices.” We are weary.
Weary or not, we can rejoice. The good news of Jesus is still good, and God is still in charge. We need to be reminded of that, especially now.
Sometimes we are tempted to seek approval from the popular, the powerful, and the influencers. We chase approval and try to find our self-worth in others. It is exhausting.
Ambition is a temptation for every one of us. Maybe it’s ambition for a career, to stand out, to rise, to control, or to conquer. Maybe it’s ambition for our kids. Ambition, at its core, is about identity and worth. Where are we placing our identity and value?
In Luke 4, the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, trying to lead Jesus astray from his mission. Even now, he still offers us the same temptations of ambition, appetite, and approval, to lead us away from the life God has for us! In this sermon series, we will consider how to identify and conquer these temptations, that we may live “in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14).
When you think of money, what do you feel? Fear, anxiety, guilt, or pride? God wants you to experience a truly abundant life. What does that mean for money?
How likely are you to succeed on your own long term? We all need community. We are designed to need one another. We are designed for relationship. How are you connecting to community?
You are one of a kind, with a unique mix of passions and personality, experiences and expertise, roles and relationships, which means you have a unique place in God’s kingdom, a unique part to play in God’s restoration of the world. You have a calling.
We often want control -- of the future, money, lifestyle, success, or in relationships. What if we acknowledge God's holiness and instead lead a life of surrender?
How do we live an abundant life? How do we become more like Jesus? What if simple rhythms of gratitude, surrender, and calling could transform us?
It's not fair! It's not right! Jonah is indignant because things didn't go as he expected. What about us? How do we respond when we feel indignant?
In our culture right now, we draw lines. It's easy to think like Jonah, "God is on my side and my enemies are God's enemies." But what if God truly loves the people of Nineveh too?
It is tempting to worship a little God -- who never disagrees with me, never tells me what to do, and is always on my side. Little gods are so convenient! Jonah discovered the bigness of God, who cares about the whole world, who may not be on my side...but is big enough to save!
God is at work restoring God's kingdom and we can be a part of it. What is our role -- our calling?
Our world focuses more and more on the individual, but faith is not private. Transformation happens in relationships. What is the church's vision for community?
Jesus said “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Sin is that thief. If we know that God is working to restore his Kingdom, how should we respond to sin?
What does it take to get into heaven? Nicodemus had an understanding of God as a screener -- that the proof of birthright and good behavior were required. Jesus' gospel is not about going to heaven, but about entering the Kingdom of God.
God gave Joshua a clear vision of what's ahead for God's people, and what got them to the Jordan may be different than what gets them over!